Hervé-Boris Ngate is a man with a vision. A native of Cameroon, when Hervé-Boris moved to the United States in 2016, he found many of his fellow Sub-Saharan immigrants (Suba) were struggling to integrate into society in a way that would provide them with a sound and stable future. It wasn’t a cultural gap; it was more of a literacy gap. His Suba brothers and sisters didn’t have the tools they needed to navigate the healthcare system, were mired in confusion about finances and taxes, and had no real idea how to start a business of their own. Becoming a homeowner seemed out of reach.
So in 2018 Hervé-Boris, with the help of Life Asset,
set up a nonprofit organization called Seed4Future Corp., which offers an array of informational, educational, and referralservices. His connection to Life Asset and the help they offer him is proof of the power of networking. Someone on the board of his nonprofit knew a business owner who was a Life Asset client. Soon, John from Life Asset became a mentor to Hervé-Boris, not only helping him with a loan, but also serving to mentor him through the process of setting up Seed4Future.
“The nonprofit was at the beginning,” says Hervé-Boris. “We used our micro-loan to set up a website, get a phone number, open a bank account, little things like that.” This sounds like no big deal, he says, “But these are little things that matter because when you introduce yourself as a business owner, first thing people ask is ‘what’s your website?’” Life Asset also helps with the ABCs of business. “They tell you how to do things, which is amazing.”
Seed4Future, which is part of a larger Africans for Future Network, is designed to help both recent and established immigrants reach their full potential and become responsible and successful U.S. residents. Both their successes and their failures resonated with him, and he knew he could help. “I listened to a lot of people who came here, and I noticed that they
got jobs based on the person who hosted them,” he says. His laugh is a bit ironic as he talks about those with PhDs were driving for a rideshare service because that’s what their host was doing.
Hervé-Boris has a master’s degree in intercultural studies and a postgraduate degree in social psychology. He knew he wanted to teach and train on financial literacy, so he became a certified financial education instructor. At the same time, he received a second loan from Life Asset to start his own reselling venture, a business model that’s taught via the nonprofit’s Seed4future-Mart.
Financial literacy is the key to business and life success, and a big part of that is responsibility. One of Seed4Future’s vision statements is, “Be a responsible citizen and U.S. resident that makes a difference through ethical behavior.” One
responsibility is income taxes, which is something that’s scary for many immigrants. “They are scared of just the word,” Hervé-Boris says. “I show them the right way of doing things, how to maximize their return, deductions, and how to prepare and file their taxes.” He emphasizes the importance of keeping good, clear records, and how they can file their taxes themselves.
Of course, he says, “They do whatever they want. We are not responsible, but at least we make sure we give them the right information.” And the information he gives can be quite enlightening to those taking his training classes. “I saw people
putting their hands on their heads,” he chuckles. “So all this money they’ve been giving to this charity organization, they are saying, ‘oh my God, I lost all this money.’” To help clear up any confusion, Hervé-Boris has prepared a PowerPoint presentation.
When it comes to financial literacy, the point, he says, “Is not just knowledge, but how to use this knowledge,” and this is how he teaches – “with examples and practice.” His eight-week program blends strategies from a number of financial experts. His students are free to follow up with him, and he refers many students to Life Asset to further mentorship, financial assistance, and extensive networking opportunities.
In particular, networking with fellow Life Asset clients has been incredibly valuable for Hervé-Boris. “I think that networking is really the bonus that comes with Life Asset,” he says. “You are introduced to them because you need capital, but later on you understand that you need to be with people like you, who have the same passion, who are maybe struggling or succeeding, but you’re sharing a common goal and a common vision.
“And you just want to extend it to another person. And that’s how they can also introduce you to other people. It’s really one of the values. The value of networking is really strong with Life Asset.” Networking is also important to Seed4Future, whose company culture encourages collaboration to “leverage collective intelligence.”
Financial literacy and business development is one of Hervé-Boris’ passions, but Seed4Future lends a hand when it comes to other important areas. Seed4Future Medical Center, Inc., is a medical service information and educational service that provides guidance on how to navigate the healthcare system safely, including insurance services, childcare, and medical support and equipment.
Seed4Future Estates also has partnered with a real estate firm to offer advice to fulfill the dream of home ownership, and has a program called Small Business Empowerment that provides networking opportunities, referrals, partnerships, education, and resources for the budding entrepreneur. And of course, one of those referrals is to Life Asset.
But it’s money that makes the world go round. It opens doors and creates opportunities, and education is the key for long-term goals, says Hervé-Boris. “I try to help people understand that education is not just about getting diplomas in the United States. It is about having the skills that will help you build long-term stability.” With the help of Life Asset, he’ll be able to teach these skills to his Suba community.